Author: perezparedes

Writing your MPhil thesis: 5 tips

(1) Jacques Barzun: The act of writing is itself an exercise of thought. Writing is important. But thinking is essential. Read more here. Make sure your writing reflects criticality.

(2) Try to achieve clarity. Nobody has ever been criticized for writing that is too clear. Communicate your ideas in the simplest and most precise way possible. For your writing to be lucid, you as the writer need to know exactly what you’re trying to say. More tips on clarity here.

(3) There is not such a thing as enough editing. To achieve clarity you need to edit your writing. Chuck Wending: writing is when I make the words. Editing is when I make them not shitty.

(4) You think you´re done with your writing? Don´t think so. As your friends to read your manuscript. Re-read yourself. All writing is rewriting. Read more here.

(5) Belcher (2019) recommends the following micro-revising tips (my selection):

a. Don´t use 2 words where one will do.

b. Don´t use a pronoun when a noun would be clearer.

c. Don´t use an adjective or adverb unless you must.

d. Don´t use a general word when you can use a specific one.

LxGR2019: uses of actually in spoken learner corpora

Edge Hill University, 22 June 2019 – LxGR 2019

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Pérez-Paredes, P. & Mark, G. Forthcoming. “Adverbs in spoken English. A corpus-based analysis of learner and native-speaker language and its pedagogic implications”

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Si solo fuera pan y circo: la construcción de la realidad en los medios

La influencia que los medios de comunicación ejercen sobre nuestros hábitos, creencias y opiniones es, desgraciadamente, enorme. Aceptar que lo que se nos muestra ES la realidad supone menoscabar nuestra propia capacidad crítica y regalar a estos medios, y a sus intereses económicos y agendas, la forma en la que como individuos aceptamos y entendemos nuestra vida y en el entorno en el que se desarrolla.

Uno intuye el nivel de degradación ética que esconden estos medios y que intentan enterrar con políticas de supuesta responsabilidad social etc.

El artículo de Carla Wright demuestra claramente cómo los medios no informan sobre la realidad, sino que la construyen. Y lo hacen subiéndose en las espaldas de los que más sufren y menos capacidad tienen para cuestionar las prácticas de estos medios.

Es difícil mantener la integridad en un entorno corrupto donde el silencio sanciona la hez en la que chapotean medios de comunicación, tradicionales y nuevos.